Steering wheels are used in motor vehicles and are commonly formed in the shape of a circular ring or rim supported by a hub attached to a steering shaft. While there have been many improvements to the construction of steering wheels, many drivers prefer to add a steering wheel cover to improve comfort and aesthetic appearance of steering wheels. For example, the circular ring or rim of steering wheels, being gripped by a driver's hands is subjected to considerable wear and accumulated dirt and debris as the vehicle is used. Steering wheel covers are commonly used to mitigate many of such problems, as well as to improve the aesthetic appearance of the wheel. Many drivers of cars and other motor vehicles purchase steering wheel covers made from vinyl, textile, or other materials, to enhance grip or comfort, or simply as decoration. Typically, a steering wheel cover must be stretched or otherwise fitted over a rim of a steering wheel to affix the steering wheel cover thereto. Conventional designs generally comprise a rubber core wrapped in upholstery such as fabric, leather, and/or vinyl. These types of steering wheel covers are oftentimes stiff and difficult to install, and frequently do not tend to fit well on many common steering wheel configurations because of variations in steering wheel diameters, even though many such steering wheel covers are described as being one-size-fits-all. For example, the upholstery of conventional steering wheel covers may pucker or scrunch during installation, or even during use, presenting an unattractive appearance and causing frustration and discomfort for a user. In addition, many conventional steering wheel covers are stiff and require considerable stretching force to be placed around the steering wheel rim. Again, the installation of this type of cover is not particularly user friendly. Further, the rubber core, in its stretched state, is subjected to considerable tensile force resulting in the tendency of the cover to break over time. From a marketing perspective, many conventional steering wheel covers are non-collapsible, such that they may only be packaged or displayed in a fully expanded state. As a result, these conventional steering wheel covers occupy an unnecessarily large amount of shelf space at a point of sale.
A need exists for a steering wheel cover that overcomes the drawbacks of conventional steering wheel covers disclosed above.